Automatic drop-fixture.



PATENTED SEPT. 26, 1905.

H. mammals. AUTOMATIODROP FIXTURE.

v APPLIOATI ON FILED SEPT. 6, 1904.

SHEETS-SHEETZ.

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No. 800,414. I PATENTED SEPT. 26, 1905. H. M. STURGIS.

AUTOMATIC DROP FIXTURE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6, 1904- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

VWW-G/LW I a; M M wPm w IW Fig. 9 is a perspective of one of the guide STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT MI STURGIS, OF KANSASCITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE PANAMA MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF KANSAS. CITY, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC DROP-FIXTURE.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1905.

Application filed September 6,, 1904. Serial No 223,373.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT M. STURGIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Kansas City, county of J ackson, State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Automatic Drop-Fixtures,of which the following is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic drop-fixtures which are especially adapted to window-shade adjusters; and it consists in the novel arrangement, construction, andcombination of parts, as will be fully hereinafter described and claimed.

Although I have shown my invention to be used as 'a window shade or curtain adjuster, it may be advantageously employed for other purposesas, forinstance, for adjusting maps, advertising matter, charts, display devices in stores, &c. v l Figure 1 is a front view of my complete invention, showing the same applied underneath the top of the window-casing, the shade be- .plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 2 as seen looking in the direction indicated by the arrow 3 in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4: is an end elevation as seen looking in the direction indicated by the arrow 4: in Fig. 2. Fig; 5 is a sectional detail on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional detail on the lines 7 7 of Figs. 2

and 5. Fig. 8 is a perspective of one of the" brackets which carries the Hartshorn roller.

rollers and its attaching-bracket to be secured to the upper corner of the Window-frame. Fig. 10 is a perspective of the bracket supporting the opposite end of the Hartshorn roller from the bracket shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section of the roller, the other parts being omitted. Fig. 12is a crosssection on the line-12 12 of Figall.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the

operating-roller comprises the wooden core 11, rigidly mounted .upon the center of the shaft 12, said core being covered with a tin roller 13. The shaft 12 is mounted to slide and rotate in brackets secured to the lower face 1 1 of the window-frame, and each of said brackets comprises an 'attachingplate 15,.

having a bore 16 and a slot 17 extending in the ball-bearing carried by the supportingbrackets', and the supporting-brackets are so located that theroller 13 may slide from one side to the other, as shown in Fig. 2, and so that when one bearing is run to the end of the roller the other bearing is near the outer end of the shaft, and vice versa.

The ears 23 are bent outwardly from the bearing-plates 18, and a spacing-bar 24 connects said ears together, screws 25 being inserted through the ears and tapped into the spacing-bar, so as to hold the bearing-plates 18 the desired distance apart and in their parallel alined positions. The end of the spacing-bar is inserted between the shoulders 26 and 27 of the bearing-plate, said shoulders being formed by cutting the ear out of the bearing-plate, as shown in Fig. 1. Screws 28 are inserted into the window-frame. Then the'supporting-brackets are placed in position,

' sothat the screw-heads will pass through the bores 16, and when the supporting-brackets are moved laterally the neck of the screws will pass. into the slots 17, thus forming a button connection between the window-frame and the drop-fixture. tighaened after the device is buttoned, if desire A cap 29 is rigidly mounted upon the end loosely mounted upon the shaft 12 within the casing 30, and pawls 33, pivotally connected The screw may be to the vertical web of the casing, engage the pawl-wheel, as in a Hartshorn roller. A sleeve 34 is tightly mounted upon the shaft 12 outside of the pawl-wheel 32 to hold the pawlwheel in position relative to the casing 30, the sleeve 34 being held from moving outwardly by the teeth 35, upset from the shaft 12. A cap 36 is mounted upon the opposite end of the roller 13 from the cap 29, and the roller is held from sliding away from the teeth 35 by the teeth 37, upset against the cap 36. The pawlwheel arm 38 extends from the pawl-wheel 32 backwardly and has a slot 39 in its rear end in which the spacing-bar 24 slides, so as to hold the pawl-wheel from rotation. A slide 40 is adjustably mounted upon the spacing-bar 21 by set-screw L1, and a stop-arm 12 extends from the slide, said stop-arm having a bearing 43, through which the shaft 12 slides, said bearing being slotted and'offset to form the stop 4 1. A stop-pin 4:5 is punched out of the web of the cap 36 and engages the stop 14L to limit the motion of the roller 13. A groove &6 is formed longitudinally of the roller, and the central por tion 17 of the supporting-cord is placed in this groove, one end of the cord being thread ed through the roller at the point marked 18 and the other end of the cord being threaded through the roller at the point marked 49. The end of the supporting-cord which passes through the roller at 48 is wound upon the roller, as indicated by 50, and the other end of the cord is wound upon the roller, as ndicated by 51. Guide-pulleys 52 and 53 are attached to the spacing-bar 24 by trunnions 54: and 55, the outer ends of said trunnions being connected by a bar 56, which holds the guide-rollers in position. -The portion 56 of the supporting-cord runs from the portion 51 over the guide-roller 52, and the port-ion 57. of the cord runs from the portion 50 over the guide-roller 53, said portions 56 and 57 passing laterally over the guide-rollers 58 and 59,- secured at the upper corners of the window, and then the cords pass downwardly and the lower ends of said cords are secured to the brackets of the Hartshorn roller 60. The portions 50 and 51 of the cord are wound in the same direction upon the roller 13, and as the cord winds up the roller 13 moves to the left and as the cord unwinds the roller moves to the right, the shaft 12 sliding through the bearing-plates 18.

The operating-cord 61 is attached to the roller 13 by inserting the end of the cord through the openings 62 in the web of the casing 30, and said cord is wound upon the roller 13in a direction opposite to the direction of the windings 50 and 51, as indicated by 63. The operating-cord guide comprises a wire bent to form the eye 64, the arms 65 and 66 extending from the eye parallel with the shaft, the arm 67 and 68 extending from the outer ends of the arms 65 and 66 at right angles. and the bearings 69 and 70 at the ends of the arm 67 and 68 around the shaft 12. The cord passes through the eye 61. The operating-cord 61 is manually engaged and operated to wind the roller 13 in the same way as a shade is usually mani 'iulated to operate a Hartshorn roller.

The means of supporting the guide-rollers 58 and 59 is shown in detail in Fig. 9. The attaching-plate 71 has a button-opening 72 and screw-openings 73. An arm 74- extends downwardly from the attaching-plate at right angles, and the frame 75 of the roller is secured to this arm 74. A screw 76 is inserted into the window-frame. The attaching-plate is placed in position to button onto the screw and brads are driven through the openings 73 to hold the plate from unbuttoning.

The brackets for supporting the llartshorn roller at the lower ends of the cord 56 and 57 are shown in detail in Figs. 8 and 16. The spring-winding bracket comprises an car 76, having an opening to receive'the cord; a plate 77, extending downwardly from the ear; a screw-seat plate 78, extending laterally from the end of the plate '77, and a. housing-plate 79, parallel with plate 77, there being squared openings through the plates 77 and 79 to receive the squared end of the spindle which winds the spring of the Hartshorn roller. A wire is bent to form the vertical bars 81 and 82, there being a space 83 between said bars, through which the squared end of the shaft of the I-Iartshorn roller may pass, and said bars being slidingly mounted between the plates 77 and 79, so that the squared end of the Hartshorn roller may be inserted through the opening 80 and through the opening 83. A set-screw 84, screw-seated in the plate 78, engages the bar 77, so that when the screw is tightened the squared end of the llartshorn-roller shaft is gripped, thus securing the bracket to the roller. The bars 81 and 82 are held in position by the pressure of the set screw against the squared end of the Hartshorn roller, if in position, and when the roller is not in position the parts are loose and are only held by the tension of the plate 79 toward the plate 77. A stop-arm 85 extends laterally from the upper end of the bar 82, parallel with the roller 60, to be engaged by the landing-strip 86 and limit the unwinding of the shade. By sliding the bars 81 and 82 up or down the position of the arm 85 is adjusted. The bracket shown in Fig. 10 comprises an car 86, having an opening to receive the lower end of the cord 57, and a bearing 87, through which 'a screw 88 inserted into the end of the roller, so as to connect the bracket to the roller and at the same time allow the roller to rotate. The shade is adjusted upon the roller 60 in the usual manner, and the position of the roller relative to the window is adjusted up and down by ma- Pulling nipulating the operating -cord 61.

down upon the cord 61 winds the supportingcords 56 and 57 upon the roller 13 and releasing the cord 61 slowly allows the pawls 33 to engage the pawl-wheel 32 and hold the roller in its position, and releasing the cord 61 quickly allows the weight of the shade-roller to rotate the roller 13, unwinding the supportingi'IS cords therefrom, and the shade-roller will de scend to the desired position. The eye,64 is held from lateral motion by the engagement of the bearings 69 and 70vagainst the ballbearings of the supporting-brackets, and as the operating-cord 61 passes up and down through the eye 64 the action of the eye upon the cord assists in moving the roller 13 and the shaft 1.2 endwise, so that the three cords will wind and unwind properly. The position of the slide 40 limits the movement of the roller 13 endv'vise to limit the downward motion of the Hart-shorn roller, and the engagement of the stop-pin 45 with the stop 44 limits the unwinding of the cords 56- and 57 under the weight of the Hartshorn roller.

I clairnr- 1. In an automatic drop-fixture: the shaft.

12; the Wooden core 11 rigidly mounted upon the center of the shaft 12; the tin roller 13 covering the corell; there being a groove 46 longitudinal of the roller and core; there be ing transverse openings 48 and 49 through the roller and core; the cap 29 rigidly mounted upon oneend of the tin roller; cap 36 rigidly mounted upon the opposite end of the tin roller; and the cup-shaped pawl-casing 30,

mounted upon the shaft against the cap 29;

there being teeth 31 stamped out of the metal of the casing and. driven through the cap 29 into the end-of the core 11. v

2. loan automatic drop-fixture: the shaft 12; the wooden core 11 rigidly mounted upon the center of the shaft 12; the tin roller 13 covering the core 11; there being a groove 46' longitudinal of the roller and core; there being transverse openings 48 and 49 through the roller and core; the cap 29 rigidly mounted upon one end of the tin roller, cap 36 rigidly mounted upon the opposite end of the 12; the wooden core 11 rigidly mounted upon" the center of the shaft :12; the tin roller 13 covering the core 11; there being a groove 46 longitudinal of the roller and core; there being transverse openings 48 and 49 through the roller and core; the cap29rigidly mounted upon one end of the tin roller; the cap 36 rigidly mounted upon the opposite end of the tin roller; and the cup-shaped pawl-casing 30 mounted upon the shaft against the cap 29;

there being teeth 31 stamped out of the metal of the casing and driven through the cap 29 into the end of the core 11; a supporting-cord embedded in the groove and threaded through the transverse openings and wound upon the roller, both ends in the same direction; the attaching-plates 15 each having a bore 16 and the slot 17; the bearing-plates 18 extending from the attaching-plates at right angles, and having openings in which the shaft is rotataloly and slidingly mounted; and the spacingbar 24 connecting said bearing-plates rigidly together so that the device, may be attached to or removed from the window-frame as a whole.

4. In an automatic drop-fixture: a shaft; a roller fixed upon the center of the shaft; supporting-cords attached to the roller and wound both in the same direction; an operating-cord attached to the roller and wound in a direction opposite to the supporting cords; a shaderoller attached to the ends of the supportingcords; brackets for supporting the shaft slidingly and rotatably; the slide 40 adjustably mounted; the stop-arm 42 extending from the slide, and having a bearing 43 through which the shaft operates; said bearing being slotted or offset to form the stop 44, and the stop-pin 45 carried by the roller to engage said stop and limit the unwinding 'of the roller under the weight of the shade; substantially as speci-' fied.

5. In an automatic drop-fixture: the attaching-plates 15 having bores 16 and slots 17; the bearing-plates 18 extending from the attaching-plates at right angles, and having openings; the spacing-bar 24 connecting said bearing-plates together; a shaft rotatably and slidingly mounted in said bearing plates; a roller upon thecenterof said shaft; supporting-cords attached to and Wound upon the roller both in the same direction; an operatingcord attached to and wound upon the roller in adi- -rection opposite to the supporting-cords; the

operating-cord guide comprising the eye 64, the arms and 66 extending from the eye parallel with the shaft, the arms 67 and 68 at right angles, and the bearings 69 and 70 at the ends of the arms 67 and 68 around the shaft outside of the bearing-plates; said operatingcord passing through the eye 64, so that asthe operating-cord winds and unw'inds, the roller wllil be moved endwise; substantially as specifie i 6. In an automaticdrop-fixture: the attaching-plates 15 having the bores '16 and slots 17 the bearing-plates 18 extending from the attachingplates at right angles and having bearing-openings; the ears 23 bent outwardly from the bearing-plates; aspacing-bar 24 connecting said ears; a shaft mounted in the bearing-plates; a roller upon the shaft between the bearing-plates; supporting-cords attached to and Wound upon the roller both in the same direction; guide-pulleys secured to -the spacing-bar; said supporting-cords passing over the guide-pulleys; guide-pulleys adapted to be secured to the corners of the yvindo\v'frame; said supporting-cords passii'ig over the lastmentioned guidepulleys; a shade-roller connected to the lower ends of said supportingcords; an operating-cord attached to and wound upon the roller in a direction opposite to the supporting-cords; a guide for the operating-cord mounted in position to receive the cord as it unwinds from theroller and hold it against lateral movement, so that as the cords wind and unwind, the roller Will move endwise; substantially as specified.

7. In anautomatic drop-fixture: supporting-cords; means for operating the supporting-cords; aspring winding-bracket attached to the lower end of one of the supportingcords; said bracket comprising an car '76 having an opening to rective the cord, a plate 77 extending downwardly from the ear, ascrewseat plate 78 extending laterally from the end of the plate 77, and a housing-plate 79 parallel with-the plate 77; there being squared openings 80 through the plates 77 and 79 to rel ceivc the squared end of the pintle: means for clamping the squared end of the pintle in said squared openings; and a bracket attached to the lower end of the other sup )orting-conl to receive the other pintleot the roller; substantially as specified.

8. In an automatic drop-fixture: suitable supporting-cords: means for operating the supporting-cords; an ear attached to the lower end of one of the cords; a plate extending downwardly from the ear; a screw-seat plate extending laterally from the end of the first plate; a housing-plate extending from the screw-seat plate parallel with the first plate; there being squared openings through both of said parallel plates; a wire bent to form the vertical bars 81 and 82; there being a space 83 between said bars and said bars being placed between said parallel plates; a setscrew in said screw-seat plate to engage one of said bars; a stop-arm extending laterally from the upper end of one of said bars parallel with the shade-roller; substmitially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT M. STURU IS.

\Vitnesses:

S. G. MoPunnmN, H. C. MOPIIERRIN. 

